Sumner County HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS are invited to participate in our annual Essay Contest. Applications are welcome from students in public, private or home schools.

Our goal is to encourage students to become aware of what makes a community special. The theme of this year’s essay contest is Personal Preservation.

One winning essay will be awarded $1,000. All referring teachers will be entered into a lottery to receive $500 towards classroom supplies/resources.

Essay Prompt & Parameters

Essays should capture the student’s observations on the essay prompt: If you could save any historic resource in Sumner County, what would it be and why?  

For the purpose of this essay, a historic resource is considered a building, structure, or object that is 50 years and older.

Essays must be titled, up to 500 words, typed and double spaced. Essays exceeding the word limit will be automatically disqualified.

Contest Rules

  1. Only one entry per student is allowed.
  2. Essays must be received by the Preservation Foundation of Sumner County by 11:59 PM, November 15, 2024. No late entries will be accepted.
  3. Students must be enrolled in a Sumner County public, private or home school association.
  4. The essay must be the original work of the student.
  5. Failure to comply with the contest rules will result in disqualification.

Judging & Prizes

One high school senior will be selected as decided by a panel of judges. Judges may also choose to award Honorable Mention(s). Names and school affiliation will not be revealed to the judges during the process. Essays will be judged based on content, originality, and creativity. Results will be announced by Friday, December 6, 2024.

Submit

To submit your essay, compose an email with the following information:

  • Student’s Name
  • Student’s Email
  • Expected Graduation Date
  • School
  • Essay Title
  • Referring Teacher and Teacher Email, where appropriate

Send this information and your attached essay to: [email protected].

If you have any questions, please contact us at this email or call (615) 572-7282. You will receive a confirmation upon receipt.